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Patrick Gréa (1961–2020): the Toulouse-born founder of Saint-Martin rugby clubs

A profile of Patrick Gréa, the Toulouse-born rugby man who made Saint-Martin his home, co-founded the Archiball club, founded the Saint-Martin Rugby Union and coached young players as a volunteer; he died in February 2020.

By SXM Daily · October 23, 2026

Patrick Gréa was a rugby organiser and coach, originally from Toulouse, who made Saint-Martin his home, co-founded the Archiball rugby club and founded the Saint-Martin Rugby Union. He died in February 2020 after an illness, and in 2021 he was among the first ten people honoured on the Collectivité's sports Wall of Fame.

Illustrative photo: Remy Gumbs, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

From Toulouse to Saint-Martin

French Rugby Federation (FFR) president Bernard Laporte's tribute describes Gréa as originally from Toulouse and on the island for more than 30 years, and Le97150 called Saint-Martin his adopted home. The Collectivité's citation gives his birth as 20 February 1961 in Toulouse.

Rugby

The FFR tribute, a statement by Collectivité President Daniel Gibbs and Le97150 all name him as a co-founder of the Archiball club; the FFR says he founded it with Maurice Tardits. The same sources say he founded the Saint-Martin Rugby Union, a youth training club, which the Collectivité dates to 2013. Le97150 reported that he coached young players as a volunteer, and Gibbs said he had trained several generations of young Saint-Martinois. According to the FFR, he received the Médaille des Sports in 2014, won the under-19 title with the Guadeloupe–Northern Islands selection in 2016 and quickly restarted the club after Hurricane Irma.

Death and Wall of Fame

Gibbs's statement and Le97150 reported his death in February 2020 after an illness; the Collectivité gives the date as 17 February 2020. In September 2021 the Collectivité unveiled its sports Wall of Fame at the Jean-Louis Vanterpool stadium in Marigot, with portraits of an initial ten figures from Saint-Martin sport. Gréa was one of them, The Daily Herald and Le97150 reported. More island athletes are covered in SXM Daily Sports.

Sources

• https://www.faxinfo.fr/le-president-de-la-federation-francaise-de-rugby-rend-hommage-a-patrick-grea-bernard-laporte-un-tres-grand-serviteur-du-rugby/
• https://www.faxinfo.fr/deces-de-patrick-grea-daniel-gibbs-il-aura-marque-saint-martin-de-son-empreinte-sportive-et-de-sa-grande-passion-pour-le-rugby/
• https://www.le97150.fr/en/society/patrick-s-en-est-alle-pour-sur,-il-sera-la-haut-aussi,-le-pilier-des-anges
• https://www.faxinfo.fr/sports-installation-du-wall-of-fame-au-stade-jl-vanterpool-de-marigot/
• https://www.thedailyherald.sx/sport/local-sports/sports-celebrities-honoured-on-stadium-s-wall-of-fame
• https://www.le97150.fr/en/sports/wall-of-fame-un-hommage-aux-acteurs-du-sport-saint-martinois

Source: https://www.faxinfo.fr/le-president-de-la-federation-francaise-de-rugby-rend-hommage-a-patrick-grea-bernard-laporte-un-tres-grand-serviteur-du-rugby/